Building unit and construction



Oct. 23, 1945.

M. O. HAFSOS BUILDINGiINIT AND CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 19, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 23, 1945. M. 0. HAFSOS 2,387,659

BUILDING UNIT AND CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2nvenior ma 5 I j I v Aiiar'neqi Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to structures made up of pre-formed units.

Numerous types of pre-formed buildings and other structures have beendesigned heretofore with the object of reducing Waste lumber and alsofacilitating erection, and while some of them have been practical manyof them were so designed that they did not fit together tightly enoughand didnot havesuificient strength for ordinary usage.

It is a general object of my invention to pro vide structural buildingunits which are relatively simple in design and which can be easilyassembled into extremely rigid and tightly fitted structures.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide panels made up ofsuperimposed timbers having relatively wide and shallow tongue andgroove connections and overlapping portions wherein the tongue andgroove connections are designed to tightly draw the overlapping portionof one timber against a portion of the next adjacent timber.

Another object of the invention is to provide panels made up of aplurality of timbers and means for securely connecting the adjacentedges of the timber panels.

A further object of the invention is to provide panel connecting meanswhich is positioned entirely within the panels so that they do notinteriere with the application of any desired finish work and whichfurther is concealed so that it is not unsightly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide building panelswhich can be made into ordinary building structures or can be adaptedfor other uses such as stock watering tanks.

. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will morefully appear from the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of one of my panels;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section through severalinterconnected. panels showing a straight panel joint and a cornerjoint;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a fortyl five degree joint;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through a panel portion;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation at a straight panel joint;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another type of construction forming a stockwatering tank and the like; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the structure in Fig. 6 with portionsbroken away to better show the construction.

While I mention the individual units making up the panels as beingtimbers it should be understood that I am not limiting myself to woodconstruction but that term is merely used for 6 the purpose ofconvenience.

In the drawings I have shown a plurality of timbers 8. These timbers areplaced one upon the other and are provided with interfitting tongue andgroove connections. In the form illustrated best in Fig. 4 each timber 8has a pair of upper tongues 9 which extend longitudinally of the timbersand which define an intermediate groove ID on the upper face of thetimber. Cooperating with the tongues 9 are grooves ll formedin theunderfaees of the timbers, and between the grooves ll on the undersideof each timber 8 is a tongue 12 which fits into the groove It! on theupper face of the timber immediately therebelow.

Each of the timbers 8 is provided with an overlapping portion l3 whichin combination with the righthand or outer groove H on the underside ofeach timber, asviewed in Fig. 4, fits around the outer and upperlongitudinal edge of the timber below. It should also be noted that eachof the tongues 9 and grooves II is provided with a side wall portion [4which slants inwardly and downwardly away from the outer surface of thewall panel and also from the overlapping portion l3 on each timber 8.

As the timbers 8 are placed on each other they are nailed together. Asshown in Fig. 4 and starting from the lowermost timber B it will be seenthat three timbers are piled vertically and the pair of long nails orspikes l5 are driven in them to secure them together. I have then showntwo more timbers placed in position and another pair of nails l5 driventhrough the fourth and fifth timbers from the bottom and into the 40third timber. Of course, although I have shown that one particulararrangement of nailing it is understood that various lengths of nailscan be used for more or less timbers nailed together as the panel isbuilt up.

In order to further secure the timbers to ether and make a rigid panel Iprovide tie rods l6 which extend through the entire group of timberscomprising a panel. While only one tie rod I6 is shown in the panel inFig. 1, of course, additional rods can be used as the type ofconstruction demands. As one of the panels is assembled and the timbersare drawn tightly together by the nails [5 and tie rods [6 the slantingwalls 14 in the tongue and groove connections. tend to shift the timbersinwardly relative to each other to pull the overlapping timber portionsl 3 tightly against the timbers upon which they rest. This makes anextremely tight connection so that panels formed in the manner describedare unusually wind and water proof making them suitable for any type ofbuilding the means used for drawing them tightly together theoverlapping portions of the timbers make tight connections with adjacenttimbers so that a strongtight jointed .paneLis produced. I have'providedstrong and-simple edge connections for the panelsand have arranged thenels 18 are adapted to receive tenons 19 formed" on the ends of thetimbers 8.. 'Tie'bolts Z'l'IEare shown in Figs. 2 and to be threaded ateach end and said tie bolts 20 are embedded 'in'the panels and extendfrom the edge portionof one panel through its tenon I9 and through theconnecting post I! and into the adjacent edge of theqnext panel. Thepanels are provided with cut-outs 4. 0 thatthe threadedends of the tiebolts 29 can-be reached so-that nuts 22 canbe threaded on the bolt z fland tightened to draw the panel edges firmlyinto the channels l8 and the--c'onne'cting pests H. r

In the corner connections shown in the .lower part of .Fig. .2 there "isshown -a corner post 23 having 'a pair of vertical channels :24 disposedconnections so that a neatly finished Wall "'ture results.

struc- 1 withoutwdepartingfrom the scope of my invenat-right-angles toeachother. Thechannels-Zfl,

of course, receive-tenons l9 onthe panels made up 50f the'timbers 8 andtie bolts 25 extend -.inwardly through the corner post 23 at rightanglesto each other and to the edge portions of'the'wal-lpanels. .Asin-thecase of 'the'tie-bolts 2B the 11301-16 25 extend into recesses 2-6formed incentain of-thetimbers B so that the :nuts 21 canybe tightened.Fig. 3 showsa connecting post 28 which is so arranged as to provide fora wall angle or approximately forty-five degrees.

InFigs. 4 and 5 there is shown a foundation 29. The wall-panels made upof the timbers 8 are shown resting upon the foundation 29.. Brackets iflare shown secured to the connectingiposts-d-Z by means of suitable bolts3|, -and said .brackets 30 :have lower horizontally extending :portion-sconnectedto anchor bolts 32, the lower=ends :of which are embedded in orotherwisesecurely fastened to the foundation 29. The brackets 30 arepreferably .not secured to the walls until the panels have been placedon the foundation zbecause in some cases the panels may not rest :fiatupon the top of the foundation. With different types of foundationstructures the brackets :38 would be .placed in :different positions.

In;1?igs.:6:and"7 I have illustrateda tank construction. The sidewalls'and bottomare made up of tinibersr8 which .are built up in panelsin tion,

What is claimed is:

.1. A buildingunit comprising amember having I longitudinal grooves inits upper and-loweresurfaces,- one 'l-ower longitudinal edge.portione-frsaid unit-constituting an overlapflange adapted to, lfitcloselyabout an upper longitudinal edge of a similarly constructed unitthe inner side walls only of said grooves :being slanted downwardly-zand j means; fordrawing sai'd timbers tightly together;

much the same manner .as those described .in

Figs. '1 through .5. .The vertical tie rods l-6 are :used. As shown inFig. '6 the longer side walls of the tank construction are provided withcut-outs 33 to receive tenons 3'4 which are formed at the edges of theshorter end walls. These joints are made tight by means of horizontaltie rodsBSlwhi-ch extend across the end walls and are connectedbetweenend plates 36. The bottomof the tank is connected to the sidewalls 'by :means of the tie rods 16, and in order to make thisconnection water tight I inserta strip 37 between the lowermost timber 8in the side wall and the timbers which make up the bottom.

This prevents water from seeping out between the bottom of the sidewalland the tank bottom. From the foregoing description it will be seenthat I have provided a construction which is adaptable to many forms anduses and which can be pre-formed at the mill and quickly assembledon thesite. walls of the tongue and groove connections and Because of theslanting 2. .A'panel construction comprising a plurality of timbers,certain edge portions of said timbers lying about :overlapping adjacent:edge portions ofadjacent timbers, slanting complementaryzcontactingportions of said timbers being slanted only-away from saidoverlapping'edge. and means for-drawing said timbers tightlyrtogether,said cont-acting slanting-portions ioffs'aid timbers being arranged tocause: said overlapping portions thereof to be drawn tightlyagainst'theadjacentportionsof the timbers which they :over- 3. A panel constructioncomprising, a plurality of timbers, said timbers having tongue andgroove connections and being substantially menucarm shape, said timbershaving longitudinal ed'ge'iportions overlapping the. outer upper? edgesof, an jacent timbers; certain portions of .said tongue and grooveconnections including slanting side surfaces, all of said slanting sidesuriiaces slant ing away from said overlapping portions of said timbers,:and means for "tying said "timbers w: gether, said tying'means exertingforces on said slanting surfaces to draw said overlapping *por tionsofsai-d timbers tightlyagainst those portions of adjacenttimbers whichthey overlap. J

4. A building unit comprising, a pair ofsubstantially horizontalsuperposed-members, said members having adjacent surf'aces witlilongitudi nal tongues and grooves therein, said adjacent surfaces ofsaid membersbeing relatively-closely fitting, complementary side wallsof =sa'id ton-gues and grooves in reachof said i rnem'bers beingslanted,'the opposite 'wall'oi each of said tonguesand grooves beingsubstantially vertical, the-'niin inium transverse measurements of saidtongues and gro'oves'being at least substantially as great as

